Furnace



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F. H. RICHARDS.

FURNAGE.

No. 535,407. Patented Mar. 12, 1895.

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N0. 535,407. Patented Mar. 12, 1895.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO ECKLEY B. COXE, OF DRIFTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

FU RNACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,407, dated March 12, 1 895.

Application filed October 10. 1894. Serial No. 525|513. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS H. RICHARDS, a citlzen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to travelinggrate furnaces of that class adapted for burning Io fuel in accordance with the process described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 789,715, granted to Eckley B. CoXe June 20, 1893, or to that class of furnaces in which a fuel-traveling furnace-Hoor is employed for I 5 carrying the fuel progressively forward in the furnace, during the successive stages of the combustion period, and in which an air-blast apparatus is employed for supplying air to the fuel at varying pressures at successive 2O points in the length of the fuel-carrying floor to correspond to the varying conditions of the fuel at successive stages of the combustion period.

My present invention more particularly relates to the air-blast apparatus and the means in connection therewith for regulating the supply of air to the fuel upon the furnacelicor.

The object of my present invention is to 3o furnish an improved boiler-heating furnace (especially adapted for marine purposes) having a lire-box located Ywithin the boiler of the furnace and having, at the rearward end of the fire-box and boiler, a combustion chamber, and at the forward end of said nre-box and boiler, a chimney or discharge flue, and having a fuel-traveling grate or furnace-Hoor supported, and having a traveling movement, within the fire-box of the boiler; and also to 4o provide in connection with said fuel-traveling grate an air-supply apparatus having irnproved means for regulating the supply of air to insure varying pressures at successive points in the lengt-h of the fire-box.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a boiler heating furnace embodying my present improvements. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the 5o same, parts thereof being broken away to more clearly show certain ofthe details, and

Fig. 3 is a front-end elevation in partial crosssection.

Similar characters designate like parts in all of the figures.

In the form thereof herein shown and described, the furnace comprises, in part, the flue-boiler B having a fire-box C located therein near the lower side thereof, which boiler is supported by a suitable frame-work 6o or boiler setting preferably of masonry as designated in a general Way by A in Figs. 2 and 3; the combustion-chamber C located in the rear of the boiler and fire-box, and having suitable inclosing walls 2, 4, 5 and 6, at the 65 sides, end, and top, respectively, thereof; the chimney or flue, 9, located in advance of the boiler and fire-box; a fuel-traveling grate, designated in a general way by G, having the fuel-supporting portion thereof located with- 7o in the fire-box C and combustion chamber C;

a fuel-supply hopper H located immediately adjacent to and in advance of the chimney 9, and adapted for supplying fuel to the ignition area of the traveling-grate and, at a point immediately below the chimney; means for actuating said grate to impart a traveling movement to the fuel supported thereon,and means for supplying air tothe fuel at varying pressures at successive points in the length of the 8o traveling movement thereof, all of which will be hereinafter more fully described.

The setting A for the boiler, of which the walls of the combustion-chamber, C, practically constitute a part, may be of any usual or suitable construction adapted for carrying the boiler, traveling-grate and other mechanisms comprised in my improved furnace.

As a convenient means of forming the firebox C', so that the same willbe inclosed from 9o end to end by the shell of the boiler B, said boiler is provided at a point preferably in alignment with, but below, the longitudinal axis thereof, with a tube or iiue, 8, of relatively large diameter, which flue extends from 93 end to end of the boiler, it being ia communication at its rear end with the combustionchamber, C, but being practically cut off at its forward end from communication with the iiues ofthe boiler and with the chimney, 9, roo by a horizontal partition 9 which constitutes the base of said chimney. The fuel-hopper communicates with the forward end of the fire-box, it being interposed between the ignition block 8 and the front and bottom walls of the chimney, 9, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings, so that the fuel carried by said hopper will be dried by the heat of the waste products of combustion discharged into the chimney from the relatively-small fines, S, of the boiler, prior to the delivery of the fuel-supply uponv the fuel-receiving end of the grate. This flue, 8, not only constitutes a fire-box in which the fuel is consumed, but also constitutes an inclosing case for the fueltraveling run of the grate, which fuel-traveling run constitutes the furnace-floor proper.

In the form thereof herein shown the flue 8 which constitutes a fire-box is secured within the shell of the boiler with its periphery remote from said shell and remote from the relatively small flues 8, of said boiler, said line, 8, being surrounded by water the same as the flues 8".

The fuel-traveling grate, G, shown in the drawings is of the endless chain variety and may be of any usual or suitable construction, the upper run thereof being supported for traveling movement within the tire-box with its fuel-supporting face preferably midway of the height of said fire-box. This endlessgrate which comprises the upper and lower runs 11 and 11', respectively, is shown carried at opposite ends of the furnace by chainwheels 12 and 14, carried upon shafts 13 and 15, journaled in bearings 13 and 15', upon the longitudinal beams 16 and 16', located, one each side of the lower run of the grate G, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings. The forward shaft 13 is shown provided with a worm-wheel, 40, which meshes with a worm, 41, upon a driving-shaft, 42, journaled in bearings 43 and 43', secured to one of the wheelshaft supporting-beams, as 16', which shaft 42 is provided at the forward end thereof with a driving pulley, 44, which may be driven from any suitable source of power (not shown).

As a means forsupplying air to the fuel, F, upon the upper run of the grate, at Varying pressures at successive points in the length of said run, I have provided an air-blast apparatus which in the form thereof herein shown consists of a main air-supply chamber, S, having a series of outlet openings, f', contiguous to the fuel-carrying run of the grate, said air-supply chamber, S, being preferably Semi-circular in cross-section and extending from end to end of the fire-box C. This airsupply chamber S is divided practically into a series of successive variable tributary airblast chambers or compartments a, b, c, (land e, by swinging gates or partitions, ct', b', c', and CZ', pivotally supported at their upper ends between, or intermediate to, the outlet openingsf in the main air-supply chamber S.

As means for Varying the effective areas of the successive chambers a, b, c, d and c, and for increasing or decreasing the area of the inlet openings to each successive chamber,

which inlet openings are designated by a2, b2, c2 and cl2, respectively, I have provided a gateactuating mechanism which in the form thereof herein shown, consists of a series of crankshafts or operating-rods, 10, which terminate at their inner ends within the main supply chamber S and are connected at this end, one to each `swinging gate by connecting rods or links, 10', and a crank, 10", as will be understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the outer ends of said crank-shafts or rods 10 terminating outside the side walls of the furnace and being provided with handlevers 10 by means of which said crankshafts 10 may be turned to operate the gates and increase or decrease the effective areas of the successive airblast chambers a, b, c, d and e and secure the requisite variation in the relative air pressures at successive points in the length of the chamber S.

Air is supplied to the main airsupply chamber S by means of a supply pipe P, which communicates therewith, which pipe extends through the shell of the boiler at one side thereof, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and may be supplied with air from a blower (not shown) in any usual way.

At the forward end of the main air-supply chamber S, this is shown provided with a swinging door, 20, which is connected by means of a connecting-link, 2l, to a crank, 22, carried at the end of a crank-shaft, 23, supported in the frame-'work and provided with a hand-lever, 24, at one end thereof by means of which it may be operated to open or close the furnace.

By providing the main air-supply chamber S with swinging gatesin the manner shown in Fig. 1 which gates constitute valves for regulating the supplyjof air to the fuel at successive points in the length of the chamber S, and by providing said chamber with a door, 20, I facilitate the removal of any ash or cinder which may accidentally fall through the fuel-carrying run of the grate into said chamber S, as it will be seen that by swinging the gates upward by means of their actuating devices, which leaves the lower portion of the chamber S free of obstruction, and by opening the door 2O and removing one of the sections of the grate at the forward end of the circuit, a scraper or drag may be readily inserted into the chamber S and the deposits drawn out.

TOO

IIO

In the drawings, I have shown in connecdescribed in Letters Patent of the United` States No. 510,568, granted to Eckley B. CoXe December 12, 1893.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The herein-described grate-mechanism for furnaces, consisting of a fuel-traveiing furnace-floor, a main air-supply chamber located below and having outlet openings contiguous to said furnace-floor, a series of swinging gates or valves disposed transversely within the main air-supply chamber and dividing the same into a series of communicating compartments or tributary air-blast chambers,f

means for operating said swinging gates, and means for supplying air to said chamber, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. The herein-described grate-mechanism for furnaces, it consisting of a fuel-traveling furnace-floor, a main air-supply chamber located below and having outlet openings contiguous to said furnace-door, a series of swinging gates or valves, transversely disposed within and dividing the main air-supply chamber into a series of communicating compartments or tributary air-blast chambers, means for independently operating said swinging gates, and means for supplying air to said chamber, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a furnace, a fuel-traveling furnacefloor, in combination with a main air-supply chamber located below and having outlet openings contiguous to said furnace-floor, a series of remotelyand transversely-disposed gates pivotally supported for swinging movement between the successive outlet openings, respectively, independent operating devices for each gate, and means for supplying air to the said air-supply chamber, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

4. The herein-described furnace, it comprising a flue-boiler having a fire-box located within the shell thereof, a suitable setting for said boiler, a combustion-chamber located in the rear of the boiler and communicating with the fire-box and iiues thereof, a fueltraveling furnace-floor supported for movement longitudinally of and within the firebox, means for actuating said furnace-floor to impart a traveling movement to the fuel, a fuel-supply hopper supported with its discharge end adjacent to the forward end of the grate, a chimney located intermediate to the fuel-supply hopper and boiler and'communicating with the iiues of said boiler, an air-su pply chamber supported within the fireboX and adapted for supplying air to the furnace-licor, substantially as described and for eling furnace-floor supported for movement longitudinally of and within the fire -b0X, means for actuating said furnace-floor, to impart a traveling movement to the fuel, a fuelsupply hopper supported with its discharge end adjacent to the forward end of the grate, a chimney located intermediate to the fuelsupply hopper and boiler and communicating with the fiues of said boiler, a main air-supply chamber located below and having outlet openings contiguous to said furnace-Hoor and divided transversely by means of swinging partitions or gates into a series of relatively 'small or tributary air-blast chambers, means for supplying air toA said main air-supply chamber and means for operating said gates, independently, to vary the effective areas of said tributary chambers, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a furnace, the fuel-traveling furnacefloor, in combination with the main air-supply chamber located below and having openings contiguous to said furnace-Hoor and having a closable opening at one end thereof, a door closing the opening in the end of said chamber, and a series of transversely-disposed gates or partitions located Within said chamber with their free ends remote from the lower side thereof, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a grate-mechanism for furnaces of the class specified, a fuel-traveling grate, in combination with an air-supply apparatus comprising a relatively large main airsupply chamber having a series of successive tributaries or relatively small air-supply chambers located therein with their inlet ends remote from the lower side of and communicating with said main air-supply chamber, and means for supplying air tothe said main air-supply chamber and its tributary chambers, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a furnace, the combination with the fuel-traveling furnace-hoor, of an air-supply apparatus adapted for supplying air to the furnace-Hoor at varying pressures at successive points in the length thereof, and consisting of a series of relatively small air-supply chambers having outlets contiguous to the furnace-Hoor, and having swinging sides, a main or relatively large air-supply chamber partially surrounding the relatively small airsupply chambers, means for supplying air to the main air-supply chamber and the relatively small air-supply chambers and means for operating the swinging sides of said airsupply chambers to vary the areas of the inlet openings of said chambers, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a furnace, of the class specified, the combination with the boiler and its inclosed fire-box, of a fuel-traveling furnace-floor and an air-blast apparatus therefor, consisting of a main air-blast chamber having a series of transverse remotely-disposed swinging partitions or gates the free ends of which are re- IOO IIC

mote from the bottom of said main air-supply chamber, means for supplying air to sairl chamber and the spaces between Said partitions or gates, and crank-shaft and connecting-rod in Connection with each gate, whereby said gate may be operated, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

10. The herein-described furnace, comprising in combination, a line-boiler having a tirebox located within the shell thereof, a suitable setting for said boiler, a combustionchamber located in the rear of the boiler and communicating with the tire-box and iiues thereof, a fuel-traveling furnace-floor sup` ported for movement longitudinally of and Within the fire-box, means for actuating said furnace-floor to impart a traveling movement to the fuel, a fuel-supply hopper supported with its discharge end adjacent to the forward end of the grate, and a chimney located intermediate ot' the fuel-supply hopper and the boiler and adjacent to said hopper and communicating with the tlues of said boiler and in position and adapted for permitting the drying,` of the fuel-supply prior to the delivery thereof upon the fuel-receiving end ot' the grate, substantially as described.

FRANCIS II. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

FRED. J. DOLE, FREDERICK A. ROLAND. 

